How ControlF5 Built Solis Lifestyle into a Premium Shopify Wellness Brand for the GCC Market
Shopify eCommerce
Solis Lifestyle had a vision to bring premium wellness supplements to customers across the GCC through a trusted online experience.
At ControlF5, we transformed that vision into a high-performing Shopify store built for six GCC markets, combining premium design, seamless shopping, and strong technical foundations.
Here’s how we built and launched the brand from scratch on Shopify.
The Brief
Solis Lifestyle is a UAE-based premium wellness brand built around a philosophy as honest as its products: real wellness should be natural. Supplements, their own word for what they sell, are the support, never the crutch. The brand’s ethos is captured in four words: Be True to You.
The brand’s hero product, Essential Protein, is a 100% plant-based protein powder combining organic pea protein, coconut MCTs, freeze-dried bananas, agave inulin, lucuma fruit, probiotics (2B CFU), and bromelain, seven ingredients, each chosen for a specific clinical purpose. The product is formulated to support the gut, the body, and the mind simultaneously, and it needed a Shopify store that could communicate that without compromise.
When the Solis team engaged us, they had a strong brand vision and a science-backed product, but no digital presence whatsoever, no website, no store, no social footprint, and no domain history. Our mandate was to build everything from the ground up: a Shopify store capable of launching a premium supplement brand into the UAE and GCC markets with the credibility, clarity, and commercial infrastructure required to win trust and drive sales from day one.
- Industry
- Project
- Technology
- Website
Challenges
Launching a premium supplement brand from scratch presents a very different challenge than redesigning an established eCommerce store. There are no customer reviews, no traffic insights, no conversion data, and no existing brand recognition to rely on. Every element of trust, credibility, and the customer journey must be carefully built from the ground up.
For Solis Lifestyle, we identified six major challenges that would influence every decision throughout the Shopify design and development process.
1. Zero Digital Presence
Solis had no existing website, product pages, domain authority, or customer base. Every aspect of the digital experience, from store structure and navigation to product presentation, checkout flow, and transactional emails, had to be planned, designed, and developed from scratch.
One of the earliest decisions was selecting the right Shopify foundation. While Solis was ultimately built on a customised Dawn theme, many merchants also explore newer Shopify Horizon themes when planning a new store.
2. Communicating Science Without Losing Simplicity
Essential Protein is built around clinically supported ingredients, including probiotics, MCTs, bromelain, and organic pea protein. The challenge was presenting the science behind these ingredients in a way that educated customers and reinforced credibility without making the shopping experience feel too technical or overwhelming.
3. Building Trust for a New Brand
The wellness and supplement industry is highly competitive, and customers are naturally cautious when trying a new brand. Without reviews, testimonials, or an established reputation, the website itself had to become the primary trust-building tool through strong design, transparent messaging, ingredient education, and visible quality assurances.
4. Supporting Multiple GCC Markets
Solis was launching across six GCC countries: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman. The Shopify store needed to deliver a consistent experience across all markets while supporting regional shipping requirements, local customer expectations, and future growth opportunities.
This required careful planning around Shopify Markets, allowing the brand to manage multiple regions from a single Shopify store.
5. Showcasing Ingredient Transparency Effectively
Transparency is one of Solis Lifestyle’s core brand values. Every ingredient, benefit, and formulation decision needed to be explained clearly. The challenge was providing this depth of information without overcrowding product pages or creating decision fatigue for shoppers.
6. Optimising for Conversions from Day One
Most eCommerce brands improve through testing and customer behaviour data over time. Solis had no baseline data to work from. The store needed to launch with strong conversion fundamentals already in place, including clear calls-to-action, strategic trust signals, persuasive product storytelling, and a friction-free checkout experience.
These challenges became the foundation of our strategy and ultimately shaped the Shopify experience we built for Solis Lifestyle.
Solutions
a. Shopify Store Design & Development (Dawn Theme)
We built the Solis Shopify store entirely from scratch using Shopify’s Dawn theme as the foundation, customised extensively to reflect the brand’s premium yet approachable character.
Dawn’s clean architecture and performance-first structure made it the ideal base for a high-intent wellness brand launching into a mobile-dominant GCC market.
- Customised the Dawn theme with a minimalist aesthetic, controlled white space, high-quality product photography, and a restrained colour palette that communicates purity and premium quality without sacrificing warmth.
- Built mobile-first, with every section optimised for smartphone browsing, which accounts for the majority of health and wellness eCommerce traffic across the UAE and GCC.
- Designed custom product page templates that open with hero imagery, move through ingredient callouts with clinical dosing data, and close with verified social proof and a clear purchase CTA.
- Implemented sticky add-to-cart and quick-buy functionality to reduce friction at the point of decision.
- Integrated subscription and recurring purchase functionality directly at the product level to support long-term customer retention from the first sale.
b. Shopify App Integration
We carefully selected and integrated the five best Shopify apps to cover the core pillars of trust, retention, revenue growth, and influencer marketing, without compromising store speed or the clean user experience.
Every Shopify app was configured end-to-end, with flows built, triggers set, and brand styling applied, so the store was operationally ready from the moment it went live.
| App / Tool | Category | Purpose |
| Judge.me | Shopify Product Reviews Apps | Collect and display verified customer reviews and star ratings to build social proof and trust from the very first order |
| Klaviyo | Shopify Email & SMS Marketing Apps | Automated email and SMS flows for welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, and post-purchase retention sequences |
| GoAffPro | Affiliate Programme | End-to-end affiliate and influencer management to power the brand’s GCC creator marketing and referral strategy |
| Post Purchase Upsell | Upsell & Cross-sell | One-click post-purchase upsell and cross-sell offers shown after checkout to increase average order value without disrupting conversion |
| Shopify Subscriptions | Recurring Purchases | Native subscription and recurring order functionality integrated directly at the product level for long-term retention |
c. Brand Identity & Tone of Voice
With a brand as value-led as Solis, the visual and verbal identity had to be built with the same care as the product formulation.
- Developed a brand voice that is honest, direct, and quietly confident, never hyperbolic, never corporate.
- Translated the “Be True to You” ethos into every copywriting touchpoint: homepage headlines, product descriptions, CTA labels, and email flows.
- Established a consistent visual grammar across product photography, ingredient graphics, and lifestyle imagery that works cohesively across the website and social platforms.
d. Product Architecture & Ingredient Transparency
Essential Protein is a complex product. We designed the information architecture to guide shoppers from curiosity through to conviction.
- Built dedicated ingredient detail pages for each of the seven active ingredients (pea protein, MCTs, banana powder, agave inulin, lucuma, probiotics, bromelain), creating an Ingredients Insights Hub that is both SEO-valuable and a genuine brand differentiator.
- Integrated third-party clinical study references and certification badges (cGMP, NSF certified facility, non-GMO, vegan, third-party tested, manufactured in the USA) to substantiate the brand’s transparency claims.
- Designed a “Proven Results” section drawing on the independent clinical study (n=84 healthy adults) to present outcome data — 91% digestion improvement, 81% recovery, 69% energy, in a compelling and credible format.
e. Multi-Market Setup & Regional Commerce
Solis operates across the GCC from day one. We configured the Shopify store to handle this commercial complexity cleanly within a single instance.
- Enabled six GCC market storefronts with appropriate currency display (AED) and regional shipping configuration for each country.
- Set up country/region selector with automatic market detection to deliver the right experience for each customer location.
- Configured launch offer mechanics, free local UAE shipping and 10% first-order discount for email sign-ups, with market-level controls.
We also ensured customers saw the right payment methods based on their country and market, helping create a smoother checkout experience across the GCC.
Results
Solis Lifestyle launched from zero to a fully operational premium eCommerce brand across the UAE and GCC.
The Shopify wellness brand achieved strong technical scores at launch, a website performance score of 71, and an SEO score of 92, reflecting the quality of both the build and the on-page foundations we put in place.
The table below summarises where Solis stood before engaging ControlF5, and what the store delivered at launch.
| Metric | Before | After |
| Online Presence | None | Fully functional Shopify store live across the UAE & GCC |
| Brand Identity | Concept only | Cohesive visual identity, tone of voice, and brand story built from scratch |
| Store Design | Zero | Custom Dawn-based Shopify store — mobile-first and conversion-optimised |
| Website Performance | N/A | Performance Score: 71 — fast load times optimised for GCC mobile users |
| SEO Score | 0 (new domain) | SEO Score: 92 — on-page foundations, meta structure, and ingredient hub fully indexed |
| Product Pages | None | Ingredient-led product pages with clinical proof, certifications, and trust signals |
| Multi-Market Setup | N/A | 6 GCC markets live with AED pricing and localised shipping configuration |
| Subscription Setup | None | Recurring purchase functionality integrated at the product level from launch |
| Apps Integrated | None | 5 apps live: Judge.me, Klaviyo, GoAffPro, Post Purchase Upsell, Shopify Subscriptions |
| Social Channels | None | Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook connected with shoppable product feeds |
Explore More Shopify eCommerce Case Studies
Solis Lifestyle is one of many Shopify brands we’ve helped launch, redesign, and grow. Here are a few related projects that showcase our experience across different industries and business models.
1. Revamping The Alpine Apothecary: WooCommerce to Shopify Migration
We migrated Alpine Apothecary from WooCommerce to Shopify, improving site performance, store management, and the overall customer experience while preserving existing SEO value.
2. How We Revamped Promunch’s Shopify Store to Drive Conversions
For Promunch, we redesigned the shopping experience with a focus on product storytelling, user experience, and conversion optimisation to support stronger sales performance.
3. Shopify Store Redesign & Subscription Model for Katkare Animal Food
We redesigned the Katkare Animal Food store and implemented a subscription model, making repeat purchases easier while improving the overall shopping experience.
Looking for more Shopify transformation stories? Explore our other case studies to see how we’ve helped brands launch, grow, and scale on Shopify.
“While managing the Solis Lifestyle project, one of our biggest challenges was building a premium Shopify experience for a completely new brand with no existing customer data, reviews, or digital footprint. Our focus was on creating a strong technical foundation through clear information architecture, multi-market Shopify configuration, performance optimisation, and conversion-focused UX.
By aligning brand strategy with technical execution, we delivered a scalable eCommerce platform that supports customer trust, seamless shopping, and long-term growth across the GCC.”
Sumit Bula, Project Manager, ControlF5
Client’s Experience With Us
Client’s Experience With Us
ControlF5 has successfully delivered a quality website that meets the client’s expectations. The team establishes a smooth workflow through clear communication, prompt support, and timely deliverables. They’re also very receptive to feedback, quick to adapt to changes, and a joy to work with.
Conclusion
Building a successful eCommerce brand from scratch takes more than launching a website. It requires the right strategy, the right technology, and a store designed to earn customer trust from day one.
For Solis Lifestyle, our Shopify experts combined premium design, conversion-focused UX, multi-market functionality, and performance optimisation to create a scalable wellness brand platform ready for growth across the GCC. The result is a Shopify store that not only looks premium but is built to support long-term business success.
Whether you’re launching a new brand, redesigning an existing store, or migrating to Shopify, the ControlF5 team has the experience to turn ambitious ideas into high-performing eCommerce experiences.
Ready to build your next Shopify success story? Let’s talk.